Wireless communication devices (WCDs) include mobile telephones, portable computers with wireless communication cards, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable media players, portable gaming devices, or other devices with wireless communication capabilities, including so-called “smart” phones and “smart” pads or tablets. WCDs are typically powered by limited battery resources. Improved battery life and battery life conservation are, therefore, of paramount concern when designing WCDs and applications running on WCDs. The concern for battery life is offset, however, by demands for increased features in applications running on WCDs.
As one example, augmented reality (AR) applications are becoming increasingly popular on WCDs. An AR application operates in a WCD by gathering information for a scene represented in real-time video being captured by a camera within the WCD. The AR application sends the real-time video to an AR server. The AR application then receives AR content from the AR server for the scene represented in the real-time video, and overlays the AR content on the real-time video for display to a user. The AR content may include information about businesses, landmarks, transportation, people, objects, and the like, included in the scene of the real-time video.
When the AR application is executing in the WCD, the above steps may occur to present AR content for each scene of real-time video to a user of the WCD. For example, the user of the WCD may shoot video in a single direction along a city street and receive information for that scene. When the user shifts, tilts, or pans the WCD, the camera within the WCD will capture real-time video representing a different scene, e.g., in a different direction along the same street, and the above steps will be repeated to receive information for the new scene.